Sana'a (Debriefer) - Yemen's Houthi-run tourist promotion council has called on the UNESCO to protect the unique environmental system and biodiversity in the Yemeni island of Socotra, listed as world heritage site.
The council's managing director, Mohamed al-Mansour, accused the Arab coalition of destroying the archipelago's biodiversity by randomly drifting coral reefs, unsustainable exporting of fisheries, bringing unoriginal plants and birds into the island, and looting rare species.
Al-Mansour expressed concerns about Israel's presence in Socotra, the statement added, after the UAE had erected military camps in the island and recently declared normalization deal with Tel Aviv.
He called on relevant agencies and locals to "counter these violations and halt all devastating activities in Socotra, particularly those negatively affecting wild life and unique nature."
Socotra has 352 kinds of reef-builder corals, 730 types of costal fish and 300 kinds of crabs, lobsters and shrimps.
For three years, the United Arab Emirates has reportedly transported rare perennial trees, coral reefs, birds and other rare species from the Yemeni island to Abu Dhabi.
The Yemeni archipelago of Socotra consists of six islands located close to Aden Gulf, some 350 km away from Hadhramout coastline, off the African Horn and on the international shipping route linking the Indian Ocean nations to the world.
